LaLiga - Matchday 25 - 28/02/2017 21:30h

Valencia CF take third consecutive home win with victory against Leganés (1-0)

February, 28 2017 -

Eliaquim Mangala's first goal for Valencia CF was enough to give the team a 1-0 victory over CD Leganés on Matchday 24 of the LaLiga season. The win was the third in a row at Mestalla for the side coached by Salvador 'Voro' González, and came against a direct rival.

Chances were conspicious by their absence in the opening 15 minutes of play, as neither side were able to put their opposition goalkeeper in difficulty. A Simone Zaza header well over the crossbar was as close as Valencia CF got in that spell, whilst the nearest Diego Alves got to making a save was a block of a heavy backpass under pressure from Eliaquim Mangala.

On 18 minutes, Bakkali found an opening for VCF. Played through by a richochet, he went one-on-one with Iago Herrerin and opened up his body for a shot -ultimately putting the ball wide of the right post. That was followed up by a Munir shot, seven minutes later, which trickled through for the Leganés stopper to collect.

Valencia CF finally found the breakthrough with a series of opportunities, as the game approached the half-hour mark. Dani Parejo struck a free kick towards goal, which was tipped out by Herrerín, and the opening goal game from the resulting corner: Parejo swung in the corner, it ricocheted through the crowd off Munir to Mangala, and the Frenchman sent a header goalwards. When Herrerin pushed it against the upright, Mangala pounced on the loose ball to score for the club for the first time.

With only a controversial incident, in which Adrian Martín was not shown a yellow card for a foul on Bakkali, as action of any note in the remainder of the first period, the game went into half time with Valencia CF 1-0 up.

Five minutes after the restart, Diego Alves sent a long ball upfield that was chested down by Zaza. Soler burst through the defence, but was closed down by the goalkeeper to deny him a second goal in successive games.

Soler had another opportunity on 71 minutes, off a corner that had been cleared out of the area, but sent his shot straight towards Herrerín. VCF enjoyed sporadic opportunities, with Leganés offering little in return, and a sending off for Martín ten minutes from time left the visitors at a numerical disadvantage as well.

Two substitutions from Voro saw VCF Academy products get late run-outs; Toni Lato and Nacho Gil both added to their minutes for the first team.

A late Enzo Pérez effort, hit over the crossbar, rounded off the chances, and Valencia CF held out until the final whistle for an important victory. Next up for them is a visit to the Vicente Calderón, to take on Atletico Madrid on Matchday 26.

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Photographs by Lázaro de la Peña, re-use is not permitted.